Folding playhouse



Oct. 4, 1932.

A. GOLD 1,881,356

FOLDING PLAYHOUS E Filed May 51. 1930 \S; 1 nuummmllmmumlllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllfllllllllllllllllllllll II IIllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllll lllllllllllllllll 4 Sheets-Sheet lATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1932. A. GOLD FOLDING PLAYHOUSE Filed May 31. 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 2 m away;

ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1932. A. GOLD FOLDING PLAYHOUSE Filed May 51, 1930 4Sheets-Sheet 5 J 3 16' 1417 if 4 ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1932. A. GOLD1,881,356

FOLDING PLAYHOUS E Filed May 51, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ENTRANCE 24' 11 211 25 w Z1 Z2 Z4 11 ATTORNEV Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ABE GOLD, OF SHBEVEPOBT, LOUISIANA FOLDING PLAYHOUSE Applicationfiled Kay 31,

My present invention has reference to a folding playhouse for childrenand the primary ob]ect of the invention is the provision of a pla houseconstructed primarily of cardboar light wall board or similar materialwhich is scored throughout its length to provide bendable panels andwhich is likewise provided with a vertical score line terminatingtransversely to'provide a door, and wherein the several panels may befolded at any desired angle with respect to each other and held at suchangles by suitable clips and rods connected with the clips to produce aplay house of different shapes or formations, in accordance with theidea of the child and which will be held firmly in set up position sothat the child, with hisor her toys may enter the play house and any ofthe rooms therein and consequently to produce a device for this purposewhich will enhance the intelligence of the child in erecting the playhouse and likewise afiord amusing and satisfactory recreation for thechild in the play house.

A further object of the invention is the pro vision of a foldable playhouse for children divided into panels provided with an endless door andwith windows upon the exterior thereof and having its inner face paintedor otherwise provided with designs representing furniture or the like,and wherein the board formed with the panels may be bent to assumedifferent desired angles and afford a play house with any desired numberof 35 rooms and wherein said room sections are effectively heldassociated by suitable clips and divided from each other by draperiesarranged on rods connected with the clips.

The invention will be fully and compre- 40 hensively understood from aconsideration of the following detailed description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings which form part of theapplication, with the understanding, however, that the im- 4 provementis capable of extended application and is not confined tothe exactshowing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and,therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therefrom as do .unot affect the spirit of the invention nor ex- 1930. Serial Iva-158,156.

ceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a scored board that affords the exterior ofthe play house.

Figure 2 is a similar view looking toward the inner face thereof.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the play house erected.

Figure 4 is a similar view but illustrating a different type of theinterior of the play house.

ing rods.

Figures 8, fl and illustrate different forms of clips employed.

Figure 11 is a front elevation of a modification.

Figure 12 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 13 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the boardcomprising the body of the play house may be arranged in a carton.

Figure 15 is a perspective view ofanother clip which may be employed.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a gate which may be likewiseemployed.

Figure 17 is a detail horizontal sectional view through the confrontingedges of the panels to illustrate the manner in which the same arepreferably hingedly connected.

Figure 18 is a fragmentary detail perspective view to illustrate theflexible joint 0 between the panels.

Figure 19 is a fragmentary pe ective view to illustrate the arrangementoparts when the device is set up.

Before entering into the detailed description of my improvement it is-tobe understood that the same isin the nature of a foldable play house forchildren and is of a size whereby the child or children may enter andlikewise enter any of the rooms provided by the device.

The device and rooms .produced thereby are of a size not only to permitof the entrance of the child or children but the toys employed therebyand, therefore, it is to be understood that the improvement is not to beconsidered in the nature of a folding toy house that will not permit ofthe access of the child but as a miniature house that may be erected inthe room of a dwelling, on the lawn or at any other desired place andwhich will afford the children the privacy of playing in their ownmanner with their own particular toys.

The play house is formed. of a substantially rectangular strip 1 ofcardboard, cor rugated paper, light wall board or an other suitablematerial. The board 1 is ivided by score lines 2 into any desired numberof panels 3. The panels are preferably of an equal Width. One of the endpanels is slitted vertically with respect to the erected house, as at 4,transversely at 5 and provided with a vertical score line 6. The panel 7provided between the slits 4 and 5 and the score line 6 afiord a doorand the door may be opened either inwardly or outwardly. Except for thepanel 7 the remaining panels 3 have their outer faces painted orotherwise decorated to provide the same with windows 8 as well asshutters, and if desired the panels may be cut away at the windowportions 8 thereof and the openings thus afforded filled in withtransparent strips of any desired material. The base or lower edge ofthe board 1 has painted or is otherwise provided with decorationsindicating herbage and shrubbery, as at 9, and the top of the board 1 isalso decorated, as at 10, to provide the same with a decorative cornice.Obviously the panels may be folded at desired angles on their scorelines 2 and as previously stated the board 1 is of a size to permit ofthe entrance of the childor children through the door 7 The inner faceof the board 1, in the paneled portions thereof, are suitably decoratedto represent curtains for the windows, articles of furniture, a bookcaseand a fireplace and lighting fixtures.

As far as'the description has progressed it will be apparent that theboard 1 may be folded upon certain of its panels to present asubstantially rectangular or s uare house as disclosed by Figure 3 ofthe rawings or the panels may be bent to provide a house having threerooms therein as disclosed by Figure 4 of the drawings. In each instancethe upper and lower corners of the house have attached thereto angularlydisposed cross sectionally U-shaped spring clips 8', such as disclosedby Figure 8 of the drawings and in addition to this straightsubstantially U-shaped spring clips 11 best disclosed by Figure 10 ofthe drawings. It is to be noted that the score line 2 between the boardand one edge of the panel affords 14 of combined brace and spacer rods15- as best disclosed by Figure 7 of the drawings.

When the house contains three rooms as disclosed by Figure 4 of thedrawings certain of the oppositely arranged right angle clips comprisecross sectionally' U-shaped bendable members 16 having spring sockets 17similar to the sockets 13, and the rods 15 have their ends received inthe sockets 17. The rods in this event provide supports for tapestry 18that afi'ord partitions for certain of the rooms of the house asdisclosed by Figure 4 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that when the device is not required for use theboard 1 may be folded upon the score lines and arranged in the carton18, as shown in Figure 14 of the drawings, and this carton may bepositioned in a closet or like receptacle in the dwelling. It is also tobe noted that the door 7 can be opened so that the child or children canobtain access to the rooms of the folding play house and, as previouslystated, the house is of such proportion to provide ample room for thechild or children and for their toys. If desired, either of the housesdisclosed by Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings may be provided with agateway leading to the doorway, the same being also constructed from asingle board and includes swingablc gates 19, walls 20 scored from thegates 19 and foldable end lines 21 scored from the walls 20. Suchconstruction may be disclosed by Figure .16 of the drawin 's.

Also if desired the folding play house may be made to assume the shapeof a circus tent as disclosed by Figures 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings.In this event the board 22 is provided with score lines 23 and may beprovided with either a door or an entrance opening 24. The sustainingclips are bent at the walls of the play house rigid and ofier supportsfor the spacer and brace rods 15, the latter in turn providing supportsfor draperies that divide the house intoseveral rooms. Also as stated,the foldingplay house is of a size to admit a child or a number ofchildren and the same can be erected in a room of a building or on alawn. The erection of the play house affords interest and amusement tothe child or children and the child or children when arranged in any ofthe several rooms of the house can amuse themselves by playing withtheir toys or passing from one to the several rooms in the house.

l/Vhile I have described the panels being scored to permit of thebending thereof it is obvious that such scoring, unless the same isreinforced, would soon result in the breakin g of the panels at thehinged or joint therebetween and, therefore, and as illustrated byFigure 17 of the drawings I let in the panels at the confronting edgesthereof a strip of tough flexible material 28 which not only serves tostrengthen the panels at the said confronting ends but provides a hingedjoint between the panels and prevents the breakage thereof.

It will be apparent that the folding playhouse may consist of only fourpanels, though the height thereof will be the same. The device,therefore, may be not only used as a play-house but as a screen and asheretofore inferred the play-house may be of difi'erent desired sizesand heights.

Having described the invention, I claim:

A childs play house made up of pasteboard panels which have theirconfronting edges slotted, strips of tough flexible material let in theslots and secured to the panels and providing hinges to permit thepanels being arranged at different desired angles with respect to eachother and cross sectionally U-shaped spring bendable clips to engagewith the edges of the panels when disposed in angular relation,

said clips having their sides provided With spring sockets and rodshaving bent ends to be received in the sockets for holding the panelswhen arranged angular-1y with respect to each other and the said clipswhen in straight condition also designed for holding the panels inlongitudinal alinement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ABE GOLD.

